The Eagles' regular season is over, and while some might have hoped that the defending Super Bowl champs would do a little better in the standings and earn higher than the 3 seed, the Birds still have a good chance to hoist another Lombardi Trophy.

They won 11 of the 16 games they tried to win, added some new pass concepts to the offense despite major struggles in the run game, and watched a rebuilt defense emerge, again, into one of the NFL's stingiest.

They'll face the No. 6 seed San Francisco 49ers in an NFC Wild Card game at the Linc on Sunday. But it's always good to look back on the regular season and hand out our annual awards.

MVP

Geoff Mosher: Quinyon Mitchell 
Tough one, as usually it's an offensive player. But the Eagles finished 2025 with the 19th-ranked scoring offense and despite Dallas Goedert's career-best 11 TD catches and Jalen Hurts' career-best 25 TD passes, it just doesn't feel right to give the MVP this year to some from the offense. I'm going with one of the few lockdown corners in the NFL. Mitchell just about owned every receiver he went against this year and is the best overall defender on a defense that's becoming great.

Jimmy Kempski: Mitchell
Dude had like 10 games in which he gave up fewer than 10 receiving yards. He's an All-Pro player as is, but if he can start picking off more passes he has a chance to be an all-time great.

Evan Macy: Mitchell
I am going to go with Quintanamo Bay on this one. If the Eagles didn't have what essentially amounts to one of the three best lock down corners in the NFL, the trickle-down effect on the defense would have been brutal. If you saw the back up secondary get decimated by the Commanders in an otherwise winnable Week 18 game, you agree with me. He should be an All-Pro as well.

Nick Tricome: Vic Fangio
Yes, I'm well aware he's the defensive coordinator. And yes, I could pick Mitchell, I could give it to Jalyx Hunt, or Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Cooper DeJean, or even a somewhat quieter Zack Baun. 

But here's my thing: Jalen Carter was limited for most of this season with shoulder issues, there's been a clear weak point a CB2 all year also, you had your most effective pass rusher at one point retire midseason, and yet Fangio still has the overall defense operating at a shutdown level, and to a point where it's even saved games that the offense seemed to try its hardest to give away. 

To me, Fangio at DC has been the real difference for why the Birds are repeat NFC East champs right now instead of having spiraled into another 2023-esque collapse.

Honestly, I would give him Coach of the Year if coordinators were eligible.

Top Breakout Performer

Geoff Mosher: Jalyx Hunt
It's pretty rare that the young guy who dominates in training camp actually then does it in the regular season, but Hunt made major progress in Year 2 and gets better with each week. He led the defense in both sacks and interceptions – not bad for a third-round pick from last season who was viewed as a project. He's been a year ahead of schedule.

Jimmy Kempski: Hunt
In my game ball / three stars post after each game, I name the three best Eagles players in every game. When I tallied them up at the end of the season, I was surprised to see that Hunt was one of the three stars SIX TIMES. 

3 points for a three-star game, 2 points for a 2-star game, 1 point for a 1-star game:

Evan Macy: Hunt
I promise at some point I'll differ with Geoff — but Hunt is the second player in NFL history to lead a team in both sacks and interceptions. It's always nice to see the homegrown guys feast on the pass rush, allowing the Eagles to spend their money elsewhere.

Nick Tricome: Jordan Davis
Davis has always said the right during his run as an Eagle, but this season, he really put the puzzle fully together. He slimmed down, has played the most defensive snaps of his career by far, set a new career-high in sacks while remaining as a fierce run stuffer, and with his special blend of athleticism and size, developed a pretty unique and useful skill of getting up and batting down passes at the line of scrimmages (he did it six times this year, along with swatting down that game-saving field goal block against the Rams). 

Davis became such a complete nose tackle this year, and within the locker room, too, a vocal and regularly noticeable leader. They have to find a way to get him an extension.

Most Surprising Player

Geoff Mosher: Nakobe Dean 
Among the things I didn't see coming in 2025 – Dean returning from another major surgery and looking even better than before. As soon as Dean got back on the field, the Eagles' defense went from OK/good to very good/great. Watching him obliterate running backs in pass protection is one of the most fun things about watching Eagles tape. It'll be interesting to see what his future holds as first-round pick Jihaad Campbell waits in the wings. 

Jimmy Kempski: Adoree' Jackson
Dean is a good choice, but I'm going to give some love to Jackson, who was by far the most concerning starter on the team heading into the season, but who has played well and is now far from the team's biggest concern.

Evan Macy: Hunt, Moro Ojomo
The breakout player was also the most surprising. No one would have expected the Eagles' pass rush to have been this successful and led by two players who were thought of as depth guys when the season began. This duo combined for 12.5 sacks and 36 quarterback hits.

Nick Tricome: A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith
This isn't to question either's skill. They're both elite receivers. It's to highlight that they both somehow managed over 1,000 yards receiving this year, through early-season drama, weeks where one or both wouldn't see the ball at all, and continually nonsensical playcalling that has left it a struggle for both to get open. It's impressive, and a testament to how great of a receiving duo they really are.

Top Position Coach

Geoff Mosher: Bobby King
The annual "Jeff Stoutland Award" will actually not go to Stoutland this year – and it sure won't be Kevin Patullo. One coach who doesn't get nearly as much attention or credit is LBs coach Bobby King, who's done a masterful job developing Zack Baun into one of the league's best at his position along with Dean. We've even seen really competent play from backup Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who stood out in the season finale. Mr. "Block Destruction" has made Eagles off-ball linebackers an actual strength after years and years of the franchise cycling through substandard guys like Duke Riley, Nate Geary, Nic Morrow and countless others.     

Jimmy Kempski: Christian Parker
Parker is the team's defensive backs coach. He has helped turn Mitchell and DeJean into All-Pro players, and also coaxed a good season out of Jackson. He is going to be some other team's defensive coordinator in 2026

Evan Macy: Clint Hurtt
I'm going to go with the defensive line coach who in my opinion got the most out of the least this season. The seventh most QB hits, top 12 in sacks, the Birds had arguably the best pass defenses in the sport and allowing Vic Fangio to generate pressure with a four (or often five) man rush allowed the rest of the defense to give quarterbacks fits all season.

Nick Tricome: Hurtt
I'm just letting this clip from "Hard Knocks" speak for itself (language warning if you need it)...

Play Of The Year

Geoff Mosher: Field goal block vs. Rams
What beats a walk-off field goal block and touchdown return – especially from a defensive lineman? You can't top a thick-six. It's too bad that the Eagles' best play this season was a) on special teams and b) came all the way back in – checks notes – Week 3, but it's been that kind of year for the Birds. Sorry, reverse hurdles only come around once in a lifetime...

Jimmy Kempski: Jordan Davis' blocked field goal
You all saw it. No-brainer.

Evan Macy: Jordan Davis walk-off
The most entertaining game of the season had the best ending, as Jordan Davis and his monster 81-inch wingspan called game, blocking an otherwise game-winning field goal try by the Rams and lumbering for an unnecessary touchdown.  

Nick Tricome: Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter rejecting Jared Goff
In the shutdown win over the Lions, Jared Goff kept having his passes batted down at the line by Davis and Carter. Turns out, they came in ready with the plan of throwing their hands up in the trenches as soon as he wound up his throw, discovering through film study during the week that his arm angle leads to the Detroit QB throwing a ton of liners.

It was a small detail that Carter and Davis fully exploited to win, in a show of how smart they really are as football players.

Top Rookie

Geoff Mosher: Jihaad Campbell 
This could be unanimous, as the Eagles' first-round linebacker has played really well. The only knock on him is that Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun are just better and there's not enough room to get Campbell, Baun and Dean all on the field, so Campbell will have to wait for his turn. Second-round safety Andrew Mukuba could've won this, as he really improved after a rocky first few weeks, but he's been out since Week 13 with a broken ankle and probably won't be returning.    

Jimmy Kempski: Campbell
If Campbell hadn't been demoted in favor of Dean, he'd have racked up stats all season and been in the Defensive Rookie of the Year conversation. But what has impressed me more about Campbell is the way he has handled himself in the wake of losing playing time. He has kept a positive attitude and was ready to play when Dean injured his hamstring against the Commanders Week 16. He's a mature team-first kid with all kinds of raw talent.

Evan Macy: Campbell
It's always good when your first-round pick gets this award. Though it's worth noting that the rest of their rookie class was lacking. Mukuba was solid when healthy but broke his ankle. No one else (from Smael Mondon to Ty Robinson to Mac McWilliams) did much to challenge Campbell — who was fourth on the team with 80 total tackles and had a forced fumble and recovery as well.

Nick Tricome: Campbell
It's tough for a rookie to make an immediate impact with the spot the Eagles are in and the way they're constructed right now. Even so, Campbell has shown some great athleticism and promise, and has made some good plays throughout the year. He's going to be a great linebacker eventually. Just not right now. He still has to develop, and the room has to open up for him.

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Follow Geoff on Twitter/X: @geoffpmosher